Find out how popular the last name Asher is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Asher.

Asher, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Asher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Asher in America

Asher is the 2695th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Asher surname appeared 13,371 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Asher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Asher to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Asher

The surname Asher is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'aesc', meaning 'ash tree'. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near an ash tree or grove of ash trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the Asher surname date back to the late 12th century in various English counties, such as Essex, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Robert le Ascher, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1188.

During the Middle Ages, the Asher surname appeared in various forms, including Aissher, Aysher, and Assher. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with names derived from the Old English word 'aesc', such as Ashbury and Ashton, suggesting the presence of the Asher surname or its variants at that time.

One notable bearer of the Asher surname was John Asher (c. 1597 - 1659), an English Puritan clergyman and religious writer. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and authored several works on theology and church governance.

Another historical figure with the surname Asher was Sir Adolphus Asher (1837 - 1919), a British businessman and philanthropist. He was a successful merchant and banker in London and made significant contributions to various charitable organizations.

In the literary world, Mary Asher (1862 - 1901) was an English novelist and short story writer. She is best known for her novel 'The Baronet's Bride', published in 1896.

Sir Frederick Asher (1866 - 1944) was a British civil engineer and architect. He was involved in several notable construction projects, including the Manchester Ship Canal and the Wembley Stadium in London.

Lastly, Arthur Asher (1914 - 1994) was an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1940s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Asher

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Asher.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Asher was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Asher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Asher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Asher, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!